Many current building automation systems use reactive control strategies to monitor and control various systems in a building. For example, the strategies may include following schedules and settings created by a facility manager. Referring to FIG. 1, an architecture 10 for a reactive building automation system is shown. The building includes a facility manager workstation 28 which includes a human machine interface (HMI) 32, data logger 34 and provides access to a manufacturing execution system (MES) 36. In addition, the building includes an engineering workstation 30 which provides access to an engineering system (ES) 38. The building automation system includes controllers 12 associated with actuators 14 and sensors 22 for water heaters/chillers, hot/chilled water pumps, temperature meters 16, water and/or air supply valves, flow meters 18, ventilation fans, humidifiers, thermal mass meters, flow meters 20, lights, circuit breakers, electricity meters 24 and ventilators, carbon dioxide (CO2) meters, luminance meters 26 and other devices and/or sensors. The controllers 12 provide close-loop and open-loop control of environmental conditions such a temperature, humidity, air quality and others. Each controller 12 receives temperature, humidity, luminance and other settings, along with schedules of settings, which are input to the MES 36 by a facility manager via the HMI 32. Real-time data, such as temperature, humidity, and luminance, is collected by the controllers 12 and sent to the HMI 32 and the data logger 34. The facility manager also monitors real-time status of the building and reads historical data from the data logger 34. Further, the ES 38 is used by an engineer to program, monitor, troubleshoot and commission the building automation system 10, controllers 12, HMI 32, and data logger 34.
However, such strategies do not consider changes in energy prices, such as the price of electricity, which occur at different times and for different weather conditions. Thus, such systems are not cost effective or energy efficient. Another disadvantage is that occupants in the building may not be able to control their own environment settings. For instance, some occupants prefer 72° F. in summer time, and others prefer 75° F.